Night in Night City was a time far more prosperous than the day. At midnight, most corpo-rats were just getting off work, though of course, many were still pulling overtime.
The whole of Night City, true to its name, only really came alive at night.
All kinds of neon lights flickered, a world of vice and glamour that captivated any passerby. Countless people yearned for this city.
A black flying car ignored it all, heading toward the comparatively desolate district of Pacifica.
V drove in silence, clearly shaken by David's performance.
Although she could console herself with the excuse of being a high-intellect techie, the gap was so vast that she didn't know what to say.
Was this why Schwarzer valued David so highly? His talent was truly terrifying.
She discreetly glanced at Lucy, sitting next to David, and wondered what kind of expert she was.
Both she and Lucy were hackers. If David's talent was applied equally in that field, wouldn't he surpass her in no time?
Schwarzer watched the trio's strange atmosphere. V's competitive nature was showing; it seemed she truly saw them all as comrades now.
After all, the corpo from the beginning had been high and mighty, not considering David and the others on the same level at all—less like teammates and more like children who needed looking after.
The fledgling David was indeed just a kid, but this was his talent—or rather, his 'destiny'.
David would grow quickly. His fortune—or his fate—would propel him to become a legend of Night City... and then die.
He was destined to become a legend of Night City, just as he was destined to die after becoming one. This fate was something not even the current V could change. This was not yet her stage.
"We're here. This is it. 'Ninjia Tavern'."
The flying car came to a quick stop, drawing many gazes, a great number of them greedy.
To an ordinary person, just being able to afford a ride in a flying car made you a big shot, let alone someone who could afford to buy one.
However, after meeting V's gaze for a moment, they hurried away. The aura of the corpo V was too powerful. Especially after her ninja training, the presence she projected was even more intense.
The unremarkable basement entrance was far cruder than even the Afterlife bar's, a pitch-black corridor where not even a single light was turned on.
David swallowed nervously and glanced at V and Schwarzer. Seeing that neither of them showed any fear, he finally mustered the courage to walk inside.
Ninjas. Beings that melted into the darkness. In modern society, they had completely hidden their existence; even history no longer held any record of them.
Inside the dark and empty bar, a single dim lamp glowed forlornly. A tall man stood alone at the counter, waiting for them.
"domo, David=san, Jimmy Kurosaki desu."
"do...domo, David Martinez desu."
Only David subconsciously returned the greeting. The others were unaffected. This was the formal greeting between two ninjas.
David didn't realize what this meant; he was somewhat used to polite greetings anyway. But the way Jimmy Kurosaki looked at him was different now—subtle, surprised.
"Just call me JK. I use that name more often. Since you've come here, I presume you're already aware of the existence of ninjas, yes?"
JK wore a purple jacket, and the signs of numerous cybernetic modifications were visible on his face. He spoke calmly, observing the reactions of the group.
'No signs of NRS. As expected, they're all in the know. That means the business about deciphering the Kojiki is likely true.'
Hearing the other man's name, especially the moniker JK, David suddenly remembered something.
Those intense black braindances he had watched before—the producer was JK!
"It's you! I've seen a lot of your work! Those XBDs!"
"Ah, that was me. After all, before I was a ninja, I had my own identity and my own life."
This was a lie! The species known as ninja had already diverged in both mind and body. They were no longer human at all!
Most ninjas were insane, evil beings, because in their eyes, humans held no place. To them, ordinary people were no different from livestock.
Even cyberpsychos seemed benign in comparison. After all, it was the difference between mental illness and an inhuman way of thinking.
His current statement was purely to mislead David's group. Of course, there was another reason: right now, they couldn't defeat humanity.
The slaughters carried out by the Ninja Slayer and a certain mysterious Angel had completely weakened the ninja forces. Compounded by humanity's overly rapid technological development, they were now at a disadvantage.
"Have a drink. Don't worry, I don't intend to make a move on any of you. This time, I wanted to invite you to join us."
"As you must already know, a ninja's lifespan is limitless. Compared to humans, ninjas are clearly a superior species. You have enough talent to become ninjas."
David and the others were all main characters of this world, so naturally, they had sufficient talent. From the start, JK had considered them 'comrades'.
With their talent, it wasn't impossible for them to become True Ninjas. Of course, the most likely outcome was being possessed by a Ninsoul, just like him.
For now, while he was still in a relatively strong position, 'inviting' them to join his faction was, in theory, the optimal solution.
"Join you? Is this some kind of interview?"
"If it's an invitation, you should at least tell us what your chips are. What are the benefits of joining you?"
V quickly took over the conversation. Her experience as an elite employee allowed her to easily gain the upper hand. Negotiating business with corpo-rats was much harder than this.
"Benefits...? Allowing you to join us is itself a tremendous benefit. Joining our ninja faction as an ordinary person—is that not enough?"
"The probability of a Ninsoul possessing a talented person is higher than with an ordinary one. We have insiders in several corporations."
"Saburo Arasaka's arrival is the perfect opportunity. As long as we can control him, we can rely on Arasaka's power to quickly rule the entire world."
An utterly unappealing empty promise. Clearly, JK was no professional pyramid schemer.
Why would I abandon my high-ranking position at Arasaka to rebel with you? V didn't understand. In any case, there was no way she would agree. Ruling the world was a vague and uninteresting notion.
"If those are your chips, then it seems there's nothing left to discuss."
As V spoke, she moved closer to Schwarzer. She had already sensed it—this was the setup for a trap.
"In that case, I have one more rather important chip—your lives."
An ominous aura roiled around JK. Cybernetic structures erupted from his body, forming a bizarre ninja costume with vibrant, grotesque color patterns.
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